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Giants pass on Minor League deal with Lilly

Giants pass on Minor League deal with Lilly

4/24/13: Ted Lilly strikes out seven over five innings of one-run ball against the Mets

By Alex Espinoza
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Special to MLB.com |

SAN FRANCISCO -- Hours before the Giants faced the Brewers at AT&T Park, the team announced it would not be pursuing an expected Minor League deal with free-agent southpaw Ted Lilly.

Through a team spokesman, Giants vice president and assistant general manager Bobby Evans said, "Upon reviewing Ted Lilly's medical history, we're going to hold off on pursuing a Minor League contract right now."

The Giants had been linked to the 37-year-old southpaw, as he was reportedly scheduled to start for their Triple-A affiliate in Fresno on Tuesday night. Lilly was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday after being designated for assignment July 25 and has spent parts of the past two seasons on the disabled list with neck problems.

"I think it was pretty much done, pending the physical," Bochy said. "From what I've heard, there's some concerns there."

Bochy said the plan was to look at Lilly for a few games at Fresno before determining if he was fit to join the Giants' staff.

"It was basically a free look to see where he's at," Bochy said. "You're talking about an experienced big league pitcher with a real nice career."

At the time of his release, Lilly toted an 0-2 record with a 5.09 ERA and 1.61 WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) in five starts. He's spent the past three-plus seasons with the Dodgers and is currently in the 15th year of his MLB career, with a lifetime mark of 130-113 and a 4.14 ERA.

Though Ryan Vogelsong is set to return to the rotation Friday, the Giants have recently moved Guillermo Moscoso to the No. 5 starter spot while sending Barry Zito to the bullpen. Meanwhile, former reliever Chad Gaudin has proved to be arguably the Giants' most consistent pitcher all year, as he lowered his ERA to 2.56 on Monday night with a strong start.

Alex Espinoza is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.